Azure price slash targets AWS

In a very
aggressive move, one likely aimed at Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft has
announced tiered price cuts for Azure. As of October 1, Microsoft lowered prices
on some of its most popular virtual machines (VMs).

Whatever it does
to AWS, this should enable partners hosting Dynamics GP and NAV on Azure to
lower their price points. Or perhaps to make the move to Azure to begin with.
An informal MSDynamicsWorld poll run earlier this year found that 51 percent of partners found Azure "Too
expensive, not cost effective," while another 35 percent found it expensive
enough to limit its use. With "unfavorable ratings" of 86 percent, a dramatic
move like this may be aimed at clearing Azure's too-pricy image.

Dann Anthony Maurno is a seasoned business journalist who began his career as International Marketing Manager with Lilly Software, then moved on as a freelancer to write for such prestigious clients as CFO Magazine; Compliance Week;Manufacturing Business Technology; Decision Resources, Inc.; The Economist Intelligence Unit; and corporate clients such as Iron Mountain, Microsoft and SAP. He is the co-author of Thin Air: How Wireless Technology Supports Lean Initiatives(CRC/Productivity Press, 2010).